Ezekiel 12:11 kjv
Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
Ezekiel 12:11 nkjv
Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.'
Ezekiel 12:11 niv
Say to them, 'I am a sign to you.' "As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.
Ezekiel 12:11 esv
Say, 'I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.'
Ezekiel 12:11 nlt
Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.
Ezekiel 12 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exile & Captivity | ||
| Jer 25:9-11 | "...I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations... This whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years." | Seventy years of Babylonian captivity decreed. |
| 2 Kgs 25:1-7 | "In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem... So Zedekiah was captured... they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes... and carried him off to Babylon." | Historical fulfillment of Zedekiah's capture and blinding. |
| Dan 1:1-3 | "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it... Then the king ordered Ashpenaz..." | Initial stage of the Babylonian exile of noble youth. |
| 2 Kgs 24:14-16 | "He carried into exile all Jerusalem and all the officers and all the fighting men—10,000 in exile—and all the craftsmen and the smiths. Only the poorest people of the land were left." | Previous exile under Jehoiachin, illustrating the ongoing judgment. |
| Eze 3:4-7 | "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them... For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech or difficult language but to the house of Israel—but the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you..." | People's obstinate rebellion leads to these judgments. |
| Prophet as a Sign | ||
| Isa 8:18 | "Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion." | Prophets and their children acting as visible signs. |
| Eze 4:3 | "Then take an iron pan and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face toward it; it is to be under siege, and you are to besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel." | Ezekiel's earlier acted prophecy as a sign. |
| Zech 3:8 | "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you—indeed, men who are a sign—for behold, I am bringing My servant the Branch." | Leaders functioning as prophetic signs. |
| God's Word & Judgment Certainty | ||
| Jer 1:12 | "The LORD said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.’" | God's active involvement in fulfilling His word. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" | Emphasizes God's unchanging nature and fidelity to His word. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven... so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." | Divine certainty of prophecy fulfillment. |
| Eze 24:24 | "Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD." | Ezekiel's actions confirmed as signs for future events. |
| Consequences of Disobedience | ||
| Deut 28:36 | "The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors; there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone." | Prophecy of exile and idolatry as a result of covenant breach. |
| Lev 26:33 | "I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, and your land will be a desolation and your cities a waste." | Conditional curses from the Mosaic Covenant for disobedience. |
| Amos 5:27 | "Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,’ says the LORD, whose name is the God Almighty." | Prior prophetic warnings of exile for covenant breaking. |
| Jer 39:6-7 | "The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah... then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard arrested him and sent him to Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon." | Specific mention of Zedekiah's fate, aligning with Ezekiel's prophecy. |
| NT Perspective / Echoes | ||
| Lk 21:24 | "They will fall by the sword and be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trodden down by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's future destruction and dispersion, echoing historical judgment. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment..." | Principle of divine judgment for persistent unfaithfulness. |
| 1 Cor 10:11-12 | "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us... So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" | OT events serving as examples and warnings for later generations. |
| Rom 11:7-8 | "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened... Just as it is written: 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, to this very day.'" | Illustrates Israel's hardening and consequent spiritual exile/judgment. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." | Universal principle of cause and effect in divine justice. |
Ezekiel 12 verses
Ezekiel 12 11 Meaning
Ezekiel 12:11 serves as the divine explanation of the prophet Ezekiel’s dramatic acted parable described in the preceding verses. It explicitly states that Ezekiel’s symbolic actions of preparing for exile and then departing as a captive are a direct sign to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. What Ezekiel has visually demonstrated, involving the packing of belongings and departing through a breach in a wall, precisely foreshadows the future reality: the inhabitants of Jerusalem, including their leader, will be forcibly removed from their land and taken into captivity. This verse underscores the certainty and imminent nature of the impending Babylonian exile as a divine judgment.
Ezekiel 12 11 Context
Ezekiel 12:11 stands at the end of a series of highly visual and dramatic prophetic acts commanded by God to Ezekiel (Eze 12:1-12). Earlier in chapter 12, God instructs Ezekiel to pack a traveler's bag "as though for exile" (v.3), to dig through the wall of his house at dusk and go out carrying his belongings on his shoulder, with his face covered so he could not see the land (v.5-6). These acts were designed to graphically represent the fate awaiting the people of Jerusalem and Judah, especially King Zedekiah. The people were known for their stubborn unbelief and defiance of God's warnings through earlier prophets. They relied on false hopes of security or on foreign alliances, disbelieving that such a catastrophe could befall God's chosen city. Ezekiel 12:11 explicitly states the meaning of these strange actions, clarifying that they were not merely bizarre performances but direct prophetic signs of the impending exile, thereby shattering any illusion of continued safety and challenging the false prophets' pronouncements of peace. Historically, Jerusalem was facing the final Babylonian siege; the first two deportations had already occurred, but the ultimate destruction of the city and the temple, and the complete exile of the remaining populace (excluding the poorest), were yet to come, and the people remained largely unrepentant.
Ezekiel 12 11 Word analysis
- Say: (Hebrew: אֱמֹר, 'emor, imperative of אָמַר, 'amar, meaning "to say," "to command"). This is a direct, emphatic command from God to Ezekiel. It signifies that the prophet is not speaking his own words or interpreting his actions but relaying a precise divine message. It introduces the direct, unequivocal explanation of the acted parable.
- I: (Hebrew: אֲנִי, 'ani, meaning "I," "me"). In this context, "I" refers to Ezekiel himself, highlighting his role as the instrument and visual representation of God's message. The prophet is personally embodying the impending judgment, making the message immediate and unavoidable for the audience.
- Am a sign: (Hebrew: מוֹפֵת, mōpheth, meaning "sign," "wonder," "omen," "token"). This term signifies a visible act or person that conveys a divine message or prediction. It's not merely a symbol but an authoritative, divinely appointed object lesson, designed to arrest attention and demonstrate future events. Elsewhere in the Bible, "mopeth" can also refer to miracles. Here, it underscores that Ezekiel's actions are a supernatural revelation, not merely human theater.
- To you: (Hebrew: לָכֶם, lachem, meaning "to you" - plural). Refers to the house of Israel, specifically the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, who are observing Ezekiel’s actions and hearing his words. It directly addresses the target audience, emphasizing the personal and inescapable nature of the coming judgment for them.
- As I have done: (Hebrew: כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי, ka'asher 'asītī, meaning "just as I have done" or "according to what I have done"). This directly connects Ezekiel’s physical actions (digging, packing, leaving) to the future events. It indicates a precise correlation, confirming that the prophet's performance is not a loose analogy but a direct mirror of what is to occur. It implies a divine decree already set in motion.
- So it will be done: (Hebrew: כֵּן יֵעָשֶׂה, ken ye'aseh, meaning "so it shall be done" or "thus it will happen"). This phrase emphasizes the certainty and inevitability of the impending event. There is no escape; the predicted future is guaranteed. It is God's decree, using Ezekiel as an illustration.
- To them: (Hebrew: לָהֶם, lahem, meaning "to them" - plural). Referring again to the people of Jerusalem/Judah. It solidifies the application: the exile portrayed by Ezekiel will physically and directly affect them.
- They shall go: (Hebrew: יֵלֵכוּ, yelekhu, meaning "they will go" or "they will depart" - future tense, third person plural). This is a definitive future prediction. The going is involuntary and compelled, underscoring their powerlessness against God's decree and the Babylonian forces.
- Into exile: (Hebrew: בַּגֹּלָה, baggôlāh, meaning "into the exile" or "to the place of exile"). Refers to the forced removal and relocation of a population from their homeland. It carries connotations of loss, displacement, and collective suffering, the fulfillment of curses from the Mosaic Covenant.
- Into captivity: (Hebrew: בַּשְּׁבִי, bashševî, meaning "into the captivity" or "to the state of captivity"). This signifies being taken as prisoners of war, losing freedom and independence, becoming subject to a foreign power. It often accompanies exile, reinforcing the state of subjugation and the loss of national sovereignty. The two terms together powerfully describe the total degradation and loss.
Words-group analysis:
- "Say, 'I am a sign to you'": This phrase establishes Ezekiel's prophetic authority and role. He is not merely a messenger but a living embodiment of the divine message. His very presence and actions are a direct address to the people.
- "As I have done, so it will be done to them": This is the core interpretative key for the preceding acted prophecy. It states the direct, literal correspondence between Ezekiel's symbolic actions and the actual events that will befall the people. It removes any ambiguity or possibility of alternative interpretation, leaving no room for disbelief based on misinterpretation.
- "They shall go into exile, into captivity": This clearly defines the nature of the judgment. The dual phrasing emphasizes the severity and completeness of their punishment—loss of land (exile) and loss of freedom (captivity). This concise summation reiterates the fundamental theme of Ezekiel's early prophecy.
Ezekiel 12 11 Bonus section
The Hebrew term for "sign" (מוֹפֵת, mōpheth) is significant as it often appears alongside "wonder" (אוֹת, 'ōt). While 'ōt emphasizes a marker or symbol, mōpheth often points to something remarkable or extraordinary, carrying the weight of a divine, predictive event. This suggests Ezekiel's acts were seen as not just instructive, but a divinely orchestrated demonstration that verged on the miraculous in its precision and fulfillment. The concept of a prophet becoming a 'sign' to the people demonstrates God's persistent and diverse methods of communication. In times of profound spiritual blindness and deafness, visual, acted prophecies served to cut through the spiritual apathy. This method forced a direct confrontation with the message, circumventing mere intellectual disagreement. Furthermore, Ezekiel's physical, bodily engagement in these painful prophecies served to authenticate his message and shared in the suffering he predicted, highlighting the seriousness of their collective sin.
Ezekiel 12 11 Commentary
Ezekiel 12:11 encapsulates the stark reality of God's impending judgment upon Judah through the potent medium of an acted prophecy. The verse serves as the divine commentary on Ezekiel's dramatic "street theater," leaving no room for doubt about its meaning. It signifies that God is precise in His word; what is dramatized will be literally executed. The phrase "I am a sign to you" establishes Ezekiel not just as a mouthpiece, but as a living object lesson, making the future palpable and unavoidable. The actions God commanded him to perform—packing an exile's baggage, breaking through a wall, leaving at dusk—were not abstract symbols but vivid rehearsals of the trauma awaiting the citizens of Jerusalem, particularly King Zedekiah.
The repetitive assertion, "As I have done, so it will be done to them," hammers home the inevitability and fidelity of God's judgment. The rebellious house of Israel had consistently rejected prophetic warnings, preferring to believe comforting lies or deluding themselves that God would never abandon His holy city. This verse directly refutes such theological miscalculations, stating unequivocally that their prolonged disobedience demands precise and painful retribution. "Exile" (גּוֹלָה) denotes the physical displacement from their ancestral land and covenant heritage, while "captivity" (שְּׁבִי) speaks to the loss of freedom and sovereignty, the ultimate humiliation for a people who cherished their divine election. This powerful summary from God through Ezekiel served as both a dire warning to the last remnants of Judah and a vindication of God's justice, underscoring that His covenant promises included both blessings for obedience and curses for sustained rebellion. The prophet's life became a living embodiment of their coming national sorrow, a clear testimony against their disbelief and an affirmation of God's unwavering control over history.